For Future COMD Students

This section provides information for future COMD students on essential functions
of master's degree students, financial aid information, tuition and fees, university
links, information about the Columbia community, and more. Let us know if you need
additional information.

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders serves to fulfill its mission in educating students who will become leading clinical
scientists and researchers in their work settings. Throughout this process, the department
does not discriminate against any persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Students within the department are treated in a nondiscriminatory manner-that is,
without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin, disability,
age, sexual orientation, genetic information, citizenship, or status as a covered
veteran. The department complies with all applicable laws, regulations, and executive
orders pertaining thereto.

COMD Information

Prerequisite Coursework

Although the department does not require that students have taken background coursework
in speech-language pathology prior to entering our master’s degree program, there
are prerequisite courses in four areas that must be completed before beginning graduate
courses. These include college-level coursework in:

biology

a social/behavioral science (e.g. psychology)

general physics or chemistry, and

statistics

These must be stand-alone courses, and not simply material that is part of a course
covering a broad range of topics. Our department does not consider a course with content
limited to the anatomy and physiology of the speech, language, and hearing systems
(as taught in a CSD program) as meeting the biology requirement. Similarly, a course
in "speech science" taught in a CSD program is not a satisfactory substitute for a
course in physics. Again, all four requirements must be met prior to enrolling in
our graduate program. Under no circumstances will an applicant, even if admitted,
be permitted to enroll in graduate courses if any of these prerequisite courses has
not been completed. The specific requirements for these courses are as follows (for
more information, see https://www.asha.org/Certification/Course-Content-Areas-for-SLP-Standards/):

1 Possible content Areas for Biology:

General biology

Cellular biology: the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; they
may exist as independent units of life (as in monads) or may form colonies or tissues
as in higher plants and animals

Cybernetics biology: the field of science concerned with processes of communication
and control (especially the comparison of these processes in biological and artificial
systems)

Bioscience, life science: any of the branches of natural science dealing with the
structure and behavior of living organisms

Ecology: the branch of biology concerned with the relations between organisms and
their environment

Cytology: the branch of biology that studies the structure and function of cells

Embryology: the branch of biology that studies the formation and early development
of living organisms

Evolutionism, theory of evolution, Theory of organic evolution: a scientific theory
of the origin of species of plants and animals

Genetic science, genetics: the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation
in organisms

Microbiology: the branch of biology that studies microorganisms and their effects
on humans

Molecular biology: the branch of biology that studies the structure and activity of
macromolecules essential to life (and especially with their genetic role)

Morphology: the branch of biology that deals with the structure of animals and plants

Neurobiology: the branch of biology that deals with the anatomy and physiology and
pathology of the nervous system

Physiology: the branch of the biological sciences dealing with the functioning of
organisms

Radiobiology: the branch of biology that studies the effects of radiation on living
organisms

Sociobiology: the branch of biology that conducts comparative studies of the social
organization of animals, including human beings, with regard to its evolutionary history

2a Possible content areas for Social Sciences

Anthropology

Ethnic and cultural studies

Archaeology

Area studies

Economics

Gender and sexuality studies

Geography organizational studies

Political science

2b Possible content areas for Behavioral Sciences

Psychology

Psychobiology

Criminology and cognitive science

3a Possible content areas for General Physics

Basic physical principles for non-majors

Basic principles of mechanics

Basic principles of sound

Basic principles of thermodynamics

Basic principles of optics

Basic principles of electricity and magnetism

Courses may include practical examples of the role of physics in other disciplines

3b Possible content areas for General Chemistry

Atomic structure

Chemical bonding

Radioactivity

Behavior of gases and solutions

Behavior of acid and bases

Hydrocarbons

Functional groups and important biological molecules

Chemical principles in human or animal physiology

4 Statistics

Courses NOT accepted:

any directly related to communication sciences and disorders

any research methods coursework taught in lieu of, or in the absence of, basic statistics
(If statistics and research methods courses were taught in conjunction with each other,
you must submit a course description showing a clear delineation between the two,
in order for them to be accepted.)

Background Courses

Students who will be applying to the Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD) master’s
program at USC arenotrequired to have specific background courses(e.g., anatomy and physiology, phonetics) to be accepted into either degree (MSP,
MCD) in its master’s program. COMD offers background courses required for students
admitted to the COMD master’s degree program without a speech-language pathology background
before the student begins taking core master’s degree coursework. Students interested
in applying to a communication sciences and disorders program other than USC’s COMD
program should be aware thatother universities with a communication sciences and disorders master’s degree program
may require different or additional coursesthan the COMD background courses.

Current USC Undergraduate Students Interested in 500- and 700-level Courses

At times, an undergraduate student may request permission to take one or more 500-level
COMD courses. The COMD faculty are open to such requests, particularly for students
who intend to pursue a Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate degree. For obtaining
permission to do so, the following criteria must be met:

The student has an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher,

The student provides an unofficial transcript of courses taken at USC,

The student provides a brief statement (approximately one paragraph) regarding why
s/he wishes to take the course, and

The student requests permission to take a 500-level course by USC’s official date
for the midpoint of the preceding semester (see USC’s Official Academic Calendar
for the exact date). For Fall course requests, requests must be made by July 3rd.

If the student meets the above criteria, s/he must contact the COMD Graduate Director
and ask permission to take a 500-level COMD course. The Graduate Director will ensure
the student meets the above criteria. The Graduate Director then will consult with
the instructor of record for the requested course and determine that instructor’s
willingness to have the student enroll in the course. If the instructor approves the
request, the Graduate Director will ask the Graduate Admissions Coordinator to provide
the information necessary for enrollment in the course. No undergraduate students
will be permitted to take COMD 560, and no exceptions will be made. This policy does
not apply to the undergraduate independent study course (COMD 525) and the introductory
course, COMD 500.

At times, an undergraduate student may request permission to take a 700-level COMD
course. The COMD faculty are open to such requests, particularly for students who
intend to pursue a Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate degree. For obtaining
permission to do so, the following criteria must be met:

The student is in the USC Accelerated Degree Program,

The student has the prerequisite coursework needed for the requested course,

The student provides an unofficial transcript of courses taken at USC,

The student provides a brief statement (approximately one paragraph) regarding why
s/he wishes to take the course, and

The student requests permission to take a 700-level course by USC’s official date
for the midpoint of the preceding semester (see USC’s Official Academic Calendar
for the exact date). For Fall course requests, requests must be made by July 3rd.

If the student meets the above criteria, s/he must contact the Graduate Director and
ask permission to take a 700-level COMD course. The Graduate Director will ensure
the student meets the above criteria. The Graduate Director then will consult with
the instructor of record for the requested course and determine that instructor’s
willingness to have the student enroll in the course. If the instructor approves
the request, the Graduate Director will ask the Graduate Admissions Coordinator to
provide the information necessary for enrollment in the course.

External Clinical Practicum Experiences

COMD is committed to ensuring that students in the master's program complete clinical
experiences which prepare them for any type of professional setting. In addition
to participating in supervised practicum in the University's state-of-the-art Speech and Hearing Research Center, students have opportunities to hone their clinical skills in numerous settings,
serving a variety of different age groups with multiple supervisors. USC maintains
relationships with more than 700 external practicum sites within South Carolina and
throughout the United States. These sites include hospitals, rehabilitation centers,
skilled nursing facilities, community clinics, auditory-verbal centers, public/private
schools, and private practices.

Clinical placement is a complex process involving communication between practicum
administrators, students, external supervisors, and site administrators. Practicum
administrators schedule all external practicum assignments, taking care to consider
each student’s academic knowledge, clinical skill, learning style, and progress toward
graduation requirements. The combination of practicum experiences in which students
participate result in graduates who are exceptionally prepared for careers as speech-language
pathologists.

Additional Academic and Clinical Opportunities in the area of Adult Neurogenic Disorders

COMD has a unique opportunity for students to expand their experiences in preparation
for hospital and rehabilitation employment. The department has active research in
neurogenic disorders and maintains clinical affiliations with area medical centers.
There is an opportunity for a limited number of master’s degree students to receive
extra training in all aspects of brain dysfunction - stroke, head injury, dementia,
and progressive diseases.

Students pursuing this additional training have the opportunity to participate by:

Attending monthly meetings to discuss and learn through use of guest speakers, films,
and presentations.

Students who complete the additional neurogenic coursework and practicum experiences
emerge with a certificate that reflects their additional training and expertise working
with these populations.

Additional Academic and Clinical Opportunities in the area of Auditory-Verbal/Cochlear Implants

Our Department offers a program that is perhaps unique across the nation. A limited
number of master’s degree students receive specialized training in therapy techniques
for individuals having hearing loss and cochlear implants (CIs).

Students pursuing this additional training have the opportunity to participate in
a working Cochlear Implant Team by:

Conducting pre-implant evaluations

Sitting in on team meetings to determine if a patient is a candidate for an implant\

Scrubbing in and joining our surgeon in the operating room while the device is implanted

Participating in the programming of the external device (ie., Mapping)

Participating in AVT and Aural Rehabilitation therapy sessions

Assisting in support groups for teens and adults with cochlear implants or hearing
aids

Completing a 10-week internship geared toward children and adults with hearing loss.

These select students may even be present to observe a parent see their child respond
to sound for the first time. Alternatively, they may be present to see an adult hear
their loved ones’ voices for the first time in years.

Students graduate with a Certificate that reflects their additional training and expertise.
Further, participation can be a stepping stone for those wanting to pursue international
certification in AVT.

Participation in these additional and unique experiences are available to only a small
number of new students each year. Those interested should so indicate in the “Goal
Statement” portion of their application. Click for more information on our unique
AVT opportunities, and our CI program.

Passing of the PRAXIS exam is required for national certification and often for state
licensure. Learn more about our pass rates, employment rates, and graduation rates here.

Student Health Insurance Requirements

All full-time students are required by the University to be covered by health and accident insurance. Students will automatically have
University sponsored health insurance charged to their tuition unless they provide
evidence of coverage by their own policy. Such evidence should be presented to the
Thompson Student Health Center in order for this fee to be waived.

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders provides both professional
liability insurance and workman’s compensation policies for all practicum students.For
additional information on insurance coverage, click here.